By-pass flow washer



s ept. 16, 195.5;` RR'. DAHL Re. 24,534

BY'PASS FLOW WASHER n Original Filed Oct. 30, 1953 @uw W4/A, Egg@Reissued Sept. 16, 1958 BY-PAss FLOW WASHER Robert R. Dahl, Chicago,Ill., assgnor to The Dole Valve Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Original No. 2,728,355, dated December 27, 1955, Serial No.389,209, October 30, 1953. Application for reissue October 4, 1957,Serial No. 688,816

Claims. (Cl. 13S-45) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

arranged to by-pass uid around the llow control member at low pressuresand to close the by-pass passageways and pass fluid through the centralorifice of the ow control member at high pressures.

Another object of -my invention is to reduce the threshold pressure offlow control washers at low pressures by providing by-pass passagewaysalong the sides of the ow control member and -contouring the downstreamface of the flow control member to form 1a valve seating against ashoulder of the passageway in the ow control member, to close theby-pass passageways upon predetermined increases in pressure on thevupstream face of the flow control member.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved formof a resilient flow control member in which the control of the ow offluid is obtained by exing of the flow control member against a shoulderin a fluid passageway by the pressure acting on the upstream ysidethereof, and in which the downstream face of the ow control member isrecessed in spaced relation with respect to the shoulder, and aplurality of by-pass passageways `are provided in the periphery of theHow control member and opening into the recess on the downstream facethereof, 'toA accommodate the by-pass of fluid past the central orificeof the ow control member at low pressures, and to accommodate the owcontrol member to move into engagement with the shoulder and block theby-pass of uid along the sides of the ow control member `at highpressures, and then control the flow of fluid by the ilexing of the mainbody of the ow lcontrol member inwardly toward its center and outwardlyalong the shoulder, yto reduce the crosssectional area of said orificeas the pressure thereon increases.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved formof flow control device in which a resilient annular flow control memberis seated against a shoulder in a passageway and is so arranged as toby-pass fluid past the periphery of the flow con-trol member at lowpressures and to block the passage of fluid along the periphery of saidow control member at higher pressures, and control the ow solely byflexing of the flow control member into engagement with the shoulderedseat thereof.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a more eicient andsimpler form of ow control member having by-pass passageways along theperiphery thereof to pass uid at low pressures along the sides thereof,and contoured on the downstream face thereof -to Ibe free from the seatof the flow control member and accommodate fluid to pass thereby throughsaid by-pass passageways at low pressures and to block the passage ofuid thereby at higher pressures and restrict the crosssectional area ofthe central portion thereof to effect a constant delivery rate throughsaid flow control member for a wide range of pressure variations withoutdeformation of the flow control member beyond either fac'e thereof.

This application is a companion application to my application Serial No.389,210, led herewith and entitled Flow Control Structure.

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time asthe following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings ywhere- 1n:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through a uid flowpassageway, showing a flow cont-rol member constructed in accordancewith my invention in la. passageway in a relaxed position, with no Huidpressure on the llow control member;

Figure 2 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, but showing the llowcontrol member in a flexed condition, effected by the pressure of lluidacting on the upstream face and sides thereof; and

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the ow control member shown in Figure1.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, I haveshown a portion of the casing 10, which may be a valve body, a conduitor the like. The casing 10 is shown as having an enlarged diameterpassageway 11 leading therethrough for a portion of the length thereof,and terminating into a reduced diameter axially alined passageway 12which may be connected with a valve or a iluid delivery pipe or conduitor the like.

At the junction of the enlarged diameter passageway 11 with the reduceddiameter passageway 12 is a shoulder 14 extending at right angles to thewalls of said passageway and having a relatively large cross-sectionalarea compared with the cross-sectional area -of the outlet passageway12. The shoulder 14 is shown as forming a seat for a resilient annularflow control member 15. Spaced from the upstream side of the flowcontrol member 15 is a retaining ring 16, which may be a snap ring andmay be snapped into position in the inlet passageway 11, to retain theflow control member to the seat 14. The retaining ring 16 is shown asbeing spaced from the seat or shoulder 14 a distance suicient toaccommodate a limited freedom of movement of said How control memberbetween said seat and retaining ring.

The `annular ow Icontrol member 15 may be made from a resilient -orelastic material, such as rubber or one of the well known substitutesfor rubber, such as neoprene, and the like, so as to readily be flexiblein a downstream direction into engagement with the shoulder 14 uponincreases in the pressure of Huid acting thereon through the inletpassageway 11.

The flow control member 15 is shown as lla-ving `a relatively at face 17on its upstream side when in a relaxed condition and as having a centralopening or orifice 19 leading therethrough, axially aligned with theoutlet 12 and of a smaller cross-sectional area than the cross-sectionalarea of the outlet 12.

The ow control member 15 is also shown as having a uniformly contouredor rounded shoulder 20 leading from the upstream face 17 to the orifice19, to provide a uniform relatively smooth orice for all degrees ofexure of said flow control member. The flow control member 15 also hasan outer wall 21 fitting within the passageway 11 and having an inwardlytapered lower end portion 22, tapering inwardly to provide a spacebetween the wall of the passageway 11 into which the flow control member15 may flex upon increases in pressure acting on the upstream face ofsaid ow control member.

The-outer wall 21 of the flow control member 15 is provided with aplurality of by-pass passageways 23, 23, shown as notches of a generallysemi-circular form opening to the periphery of said flow control member,for passing fluid at low pressures around the side of said ow controlmember. It should be understood that while the by-pass passageways 23are herein shown as being generally semi-circular, that they need not beso shaped but may be of any form desired.

The downstream face of the flow control member 15 is shown as beingcontoured or recessed inwardly of the wall thereof, to form a pluralityof segmental ribs 24, 24 extending along the periphery thereof to theby-pass passageways 23, 23, the outer margins of which ribs are formedby the inwardly tapered outer wall portion, 22. The ribs 24, 24 serve tospace the contoured portion of the downstream face of the flow controlmember 15 in spaced relation with respect to the shoulder 14, toaccommodate the free passage of fluid through the by-pass passageways23, 23 into the outlet passageway 12, upon low pressure conditions inthe inlet passageway 11.

Within the ribs 24, 24 on the downstream face of the flow control member15 is a generally annular downwardly opening passageway 25, terminatingat its inner margins into segmental projections or ribs 26, 26 and intoouter depending lips 27, 27 of a recessed or concave face 29. Therecessed or concave face 29 is shown as being in the general form of thefrustum of a cone terminating at its inner margins in an annularshouldered recess 30 at the downstream side of the orifice 19.

The segmental ribs 26, 26 and lips 27, 27 are spaced downwardly from thebottom portion of the llow control member defining the top of thechannel 25 and form control edges and a valve means engageable with theshoulder 14 upon increases in pressure on the upstream surface and sidesof the flow control member 15.

It may be seen from the foregoing that as the pressure of the fluidacting on the upstream face 17 and sides of the flow control member 15increases, said flow control member ilexes in the direction of the tlowof fluid through the orifice 19 toward the shouldered seat 14, firstbringing the segmental ribs 26, 26 into engagement with the shoulder andthen bringing the lips 27, 27 into engagement with said shoulder, andrestricting the cross-sectional area of the orifice 19 by flexure of thebody of the fiow control member into engagement with the shoulder 19 andoutwardly therealong.

It may further be seen that as the segmental ribs 26, 26 first engagethe shoulder 14, the flow of fluid through the by-pass passageways willbe restricted to the space between the lips 27, 27 and the shoulder 14,resulting in a substantial reduction in the ilow of fluid through thebypass passageways as well as through the central orice 19, and that asthe pressure of uid on the upstream face 17 of the flow control member15 increases further, the lips 27, 27 will then come into engagementwith the shoulder or seat 14, seating against said shoulder and blockingthe flow of Huid through the by-pass passageways and then controllingthe flow solely by llexing of the body of the flow control memberinwardly along the shoulder 14.

It will be o-bserved from this figure that in all positions ofdeformation of the ilow control member 15, like the flow control membershown in my companion application Serial No. 389,210 previouslymentioned, that the orifice 19 is spaced from the inlet side of thereduced diameter outlet passageway 12, and that the flow control memberis never deformed into said outlet passageway. The ow control memberrather reacts against the shoul- 4 der 14 and spreads outwardlytherealong in its periphery vand inwardly therealong along the recessedportion thereof, and at the same time flexes along its central portionto reduce the cross-sectional area at the orifice 19 upon increases inpressure. The flow control member positively blocks the ow of uidthrough the bypass passageways 23, 23 above certain predeterminedpressures and then controls the flow solely by reduction incross-sectional area of the central orifice 19 as the pressure in theupstream face ofA said -control member increases, so as to provide auniform flow throughout the entire pressure range, with a reducedthreshold presssure and a resultant free flow of lluid under lowpressure conditions.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedin the present invention Without departing from the scope of the novelconcepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

l. A flow control device for maintaining a substantially uniform fluiddelivery rate over a wide range of pressure variations comprising acasing having a passa geway leading therethrough, a shoulder in saidpassageway facing the upstream side thereof, a resilient annular flowcontrol member in said passageway, the inner margins of which define aflow orifice, a by-pass passageway in said ow control member, leadingtherethrough and opening to the periphery thereof and accommodating thehow of fluid along the side of said flow control member under lowpressure conditions, said flow control member also having a downstreamface spaced from said shoulder inwardly of the periphery thereof, andflexing downwardly into engagement with said shoulder radially inwardlyof said by-pass passageway and moving radially inwardly along saidshoulder upon increase in pressure on the upstream face thereof, andhaving sealing engagement with said shoulder to block the flow of uidthrough said by-pass passageway upon increases in pressure on theupstream face thereof.

2. A huid control device for maintaining a substantially uniform fluiddelivery rate over a wide range of pressure variations comprising acasing having a passageway leading therethrough a shoulder in saidpassageway facing the upstream side thereof, a resilient annular flowcontrol member in said passageway seating against said shoulder, theopen portion of which forms a flow orice, said flow control memberhaving a concave face portion on the downstream side thereof with arecess defining the outer margins of said concave face portion andforming-a fluid passageway channel, a central orifice communicating withsaid concave face portion, and a by-pass passageway opening to theperiphery thereof and extending axially thereallong, for by-passingfluid at low pressure through said channel fluid passages, and said owcontrol member engaging said shoulder inwardly of said channel uponincreases in pressure on the upstream face thereof, and having sealingengagement with said shoulder to block the ow of fluid through saidby-pass passageway at predetermined high pressure ranges.

3. In a fluid flow control device for maintaining a substantiallyuniform fluid delivery rate over a wide range of pressure variationscomprising a casing having a passageway leading therethrough, a shoulderin said passageway facing the upstream side thereof, a resilient annularow control member in said passageway, the inner margins of which definea ilow orifice, said flow control member havinga recessed face on thedownstream side thereof and having spaced ribs extending along the outermargin thereof and spacing said face from said shoulder andaccommodating said recessed face to flex downwardly into engagement withsaid shoulder upon increases in pressure to restrict the crosssectionalarea of said central orifice without deforming said ow control memberbeyond the face of said shoulder, and means affording ow resistance tosaid ow orifice for low pressure conditions comprising a plurality ofby-pass passageways leading through said flow control member and openingto the periphery thereof into said shoulder through said ribs, foraccommodating the by-pass of fluid around the periphery of said flowcontrol member at low pressure conditions, and said flow control memberflexing into engagement with said shoulder and sealing thereagainst toblock the passage of fluid through said by-pass passageways uponpredetermined increases in pressure.

4. In a fluid flow control device for maintaining a substantially.uniform delivery rate over a wide range of pressure variationscomprising a casing having a passageway leading therethrough, a shoulderin said passageway facingthe upstream side thereof, a resilient annularflow control member in said passageway seating against said shoulder,`the inner margins of said flow control member defining a central fluidflow orifice, said flow control member having a recessed face facingsaid shoulder and spaced from said shoulder and having a generallyfrusto-oonical recess extending inwardly within the body of said flowcontrol member into said central flow orifice, and a downwardly openingchannel spaced outwardly from said frusto-conical recess, the outermargins of said frusto-conical recess projecting from the downstreamface of said flow control member defined by said channel and flexinginto Isealing engagement with said shoulder upon increases in pressurethereon, to block the passage of fluid past the sides of said flowcontrol member upon predetermined high pressure conditions, and meansaffording flow assistance to said central fluid flow orifice comprisinga plurality of bypass passageways extending axially along the margin ofsaid annular flow control member into said channel for the free flow offluid along the sides of said flow control member through saidpassageway at low pressure conditions.

5. In a fluid control device for maintaining a substantially uniformdelivery rate over a wide range of pressure variationscomprising acasing having a passageway leading therethrough, a shoulder in lsaidpassageway facing the upstream side thereof, a resilient annular flowcontrol member in said passageway seating against said shoulder, theinner margins of said flow control member defining a central fluid floworifice, by-pass passageways extending along a periphery of said flowcontrol member and opening to the interior thereof, said flow controlmember having a recessed portion on the downstream face thereof, in thegeneral form of an annular channel facing said shoulder and havingspaced ribs extending from the inner margins of said channel n adownstream direction with a generally frusto-conical recess extendinginwardly from said ribs having outer lip portions in the spaces betweensaid ribs and terminating radially inwardly from said ribs and extendingin a downstream direction from the portion of said flow control memberforming the base of said channel, a lesser distance than said ribs, saidchannel accommodating the by-pass of fluid through said by-passpassageways at low pressure conditions, said ribs flexing intoengagement with said shoulder to restrict the passage of fluid throughsaid by-pass passageways upon increases ln pressure, and said lipspositively blocking the flow of fluid through said by-pass passagewaysupon certain other predetermined increases in pressure and accommodatingthe control of the flow of fluid solely by restricting thecross-sectional area of said orifice by flexing said flow control memberinto engagement with and outwardly along said shoulder.

6. In a flow control device for maintaining a substantially uniformdelivery rate over a wide range of pressure variations comprising acasing having a passageway leading therethrough, a shoulder in saidpassageway facing the upstream side thereof, a resilient flow controlmember in said passageway seating against said shoulder, at least oneaxial passageway extending along the outer wall of said flow controlmember and opening t'o the periphery thereof, said flow control memberhaving a recessed central portionl spaced from said shoulder and havingcommunication with said axial passageway,

and flow control lip portions depending from said re` stantially uniformdelivery rate over a wide range of pressure .variations comprising acasing having a passageway` leading therethrough, a shoulder in saidpassageway facing the upstream side thereof, a resilient flow controlmember in said passageway seating against said shoulder, at least oneaxial passageway extending along the outer wall of said flow controlmember and opening to the periphery thereof, said flow control memberhaving a recessed central portion spaced from said shoulder and havingcommunication with said axial passageway, and having spaced ribs spacedinwardly from the outer edge of said flow control member and facing in adown stream direction, and lip portions in the spaces between said ribsand extending toward said seat a lesser distance than said ribs, saidribs flexing into engagement with said shoulder to restrict the passageof fluid through said axial passageway and said lip portions furtherrestricting the flow of fluid through said axial passageway upon certainotherincreases in pressure.

8. In a flow control device for providing a substantially constant ra'teof flow under wide variations in pressure, a casing having a flowpassageway therethrough and having an upstream facing seating surface insaid passageway, and a resilient flow control member in said passageway,said flow control member having jrst passageway means therethroughajjording a flow path continuously open in bo-th low and high pressureranges, said flow control member being deformable under pressure in saidhigh pressure range to vary the flow area of said first passageway meansinversely with pressure to provide substantially constant rate of flowtherethrough in said high pressure range, said ow control member havingsecond passageway means aording a flow path open in said low pressurerange to provide flowv in addition to the flow through said firstpassageway mlea'ns in said low pressure range to overcome excessiverestriction of flow by said flow control member in said low pressurerange, said flow control member huving a portion controlling flowthrough said second passageway means, said flow controlling portionbeing spaced from said seating surface in said low pressure range andmoving under the influence of pressure on said flow control memlber toengage said seating surface in said 1high pressure range and shut-offflow through said second passageway means.

9. In a flow control device for providing a substantially constant rateof flow under wide variations in pressure, a casing having a flowpassageway therethrough and having an upstream facing seating surface insaid passageway, anda resilient flow control member in said passageway,said flow control member having first passageway means therethroughaording a flow path continuously open in both low and high pressureranges, the flow area through said rst passageway means being of such asize that in said low pressure ran'ge said flow control member restrictsfiow through said first passageway means to a rate smaller than saidsubstantially constant rate of flow, said flow' control member ajordingincreasing flow with increasing pressure through said first passagewaymeans as the pressure is increased through said low pressure range untilsaid substantially constant rate of flow is reached at the beginning ofsaid high pressure range, said flow control member being deformableunder pressure in said high pressure range to vary the flow area of saidfirst passageway lmeans inversely with flow throughf said: jirstApassageway, meansI in. said high pressure range, said flow controlmember having second passageway/means vfafjora'ingyra;-- lowvv pathoperiv in said low -pressure range `t provideflowdnraddition to the flowthrough said first, passageway means in'said low pressure range. tocounteract the `restricting of flow' through said rst' passageway meansby said flow control member and tendfto bring-totali flowv up tosaidsubstantially constant rate in said low pressure range, said flowcontrol member havingaportion controlling iflow through said secondpassagewayvmeans, said flow controlling portion being spaced fromvsaidseating surface in said low' pressure range and movingtoward saidseatinggsurface4 under the influence of pressure on said flow controlymemberasthe pressure is increased through said low pressure yrange todecreasethe flow area through said -second passageway means as thepressure is.. increased through said low pressure range andprovidedecreasing flowvwith increasingE pressure-,through said secondpassageway means to counteract increasing flow withI increasing pressurethrough said rst passageway means inA said lowpressure ranges and ltendto maintain saidvsubstantially constant rate-of flow in said lowpressure'range, saidflowcontrolling portion moving into enga-gementfwithsaid seating surface in said high pressure range*` to shut-o1? flowthroughr said second passageway 'means 10. A flow' control device forproviding @substantially constant rate vof flow underwidevarationsinpressure, comprising a housing having 'a flow passageway' ll'eadingtherethrough havingA a shoulder therein `facingtin an up streamdirection, a resilient flow control disk seated on saidshoulderandfhavingay central orifice leadingttherethroughI deformable uponincreases inpressureto provide a .substantially constant: rate of, flowthrough saidtpas.-

sagewayunder increasing pressure abovea low pressure range, said diskhaving second passageway means, spaced radiallyY outwardly from saidcentral orice capable of passing fluid, in said low pressure range inaddition to thatv passingthrough said central Vorifice to overcomeexcessive restriction of flow through said flow passageway insaid.,.casing` by said disk in said low pressure range, said. flowcontrol member having a portion facing said shoulder and moving towardsaid shoulder upon increases in pressure for reducing flow through saidsecond pasysagewaymleans as pressure increases' through said lowpressure range to provide said substantially constant rate of flowthrough said housingas pressure increases through said low pressurerange and blocking the flow through saidfsecondpassdgeway means in apressure range above saidA vlow pressure range, solely by the resiliencyof said diskland .the pressure of fluid acting thereon.

References Cited in thev le Vof this patent or the original patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,460,647 Miller: Feb. l, 1949 2,564,286 StephanyAug. 14, 1951 2,572,244v Ch'ace Oct.' 23, 1951 2,632,476 Miller Mar. 24,1953 2,642,896: Cantalupo et a1 June23, 1953 2,667,900 Cantalupo Feb. 2,1954v

